The southern Chinese city of Shenzhen won the right to host the 2011 XXVI World University Games, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) announced Tuesday in Turin, Italy.

Shenzhen beat out the other four candidates - Kaohsiung of Chinese Taipei, Poznan of Poland, Kazan of Russia and Murcia of Spain, during an executive meeting of the FISU at the Teatro Regio in Turin.

Xu Zongheng, major of Shenzhen and head of China's delegation, cried with joy as FISU President George Killian announced the result.

"To host the 2011 World Universiade is the wish of every single Shenzhen citizen. The whole city is waiting for the result even though it's midnight back in China," Xu said.

Shenzhen's local television gave a live broadcast of the meeting when Killian announced the result.

"The Universiade will push the development of Shenzhen. I'm very excited about the result," Xu added.

Shenzhen was not the favorite as several major international competitions will be hosted in China over the next few years.

The women's soccer World Cup will be played in China and Beijing will host the 2008 Olympic Games.

Harbin in northeast China will stage the next version of the World Winter Universiade in 2009 and the Asian Games will take place in Guangzhou in 2010.

"I don't know how many votes Shenzhen won during the poll, but the result is the wish of the 22 executive members of FISU," said Killian. "Shenzhen is a new city of only 26 years old. They have done fantastic work and have a good plan. We have confidence that they will host a successful Universiade)."

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2007)